Thursday, April 30, 2009

This week, People released its annual 100 Most Beautiful People issue, choosing actress Christina Applegate as their covergirl for the strength she displayed last year after being diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing a double mastectomy. And her good looks don't hurt, either.

As usual, Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry and George Clooney also made the cut in this year's choices. But there were some fresh names on the list as well, thanks in part to the Disney craze that's erupted of late. The magazine featured youngsters Demi Lovato, Emma Roberts and Selena Gomez, along with High School Musical phenomenon Zac Efron (sorry, Vanessa).The Twilight contingent also represented, with Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart both making the list, along with the young ladies of 90210: Shenae Grimes, Jessica Stroup, AnnaLynne McCord and Jessica Lowndes.

Country girls Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood made the cut, along with scorned bachelor girlfriend-turned-Dancing With the Stars stunner Melissa Rycroft.

Since nothing's sexier than a sense of humor, some of our favorite SNL alums and comedians were honored as well. Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Jimmy Fallon, Kristen Wiig and the always-delightful Chelsea Handler cleaned up in that category.

The last surprise: First Lady Michelle Obama, arms and all, represented the White House -- along with Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

For a complete list and great pictures of this year's choices, pick up the latest People which hits newstands tomorrow.

Taye Diggs and his wife, Broadway star Idina Menzel, are expecting a son, In Touch is reporting.

“They are so excited to have a boy,” an insider says. “Taye especially is over the moon and can’t stop talking about all the things he’ll do with him!” The Private Practice star and his wife first met while starring in Rent in 1996 and married in 2003, but Idina had been working on her career.

Top Gun star Kelly McGillis has turned her back on men for good - reportedly confirming persistent rumors she is gay.

The actress been subjected to gossip about her sexuality throughout her career but she repeatedly denied speculation she was a lesbian.

But now McGillis has apparently confirmed she's shunning men in favour of a female lover.

According to Radar Online, she says, "I'm done with the man thing. I did that, I need to move on in life. That's another part of being true to yourself... that's been a challenge for me personally."I think that (accepting my homosexuality) was an ongoing process from the time I was about 12. I had a lot of things happened that convinced me that God was punishing me for being gay. That was a hard process."

McGillis has been wed twice and has two daughters from her marriage to Fred Tillman. The couple divorced in 2002.

After 13 years of marriage and two children together, Sean Penn has filed for legal separation from his wife, actress Robin Wright Penn.

This is the third time the couple has moved to legally end their marriage. In December 2007, Penn filed for divorce, his petition to be dismissed shortly thereafter. Three days later, his wife filed separately. By April of last year, however, the couple seemed to want to work things out, and asked that the petition be dismissed.

Sean Penn did not thank his wife during his acceptance speech at this year's Academy Awards, which caused many to speculate that all was not well in the marriage. Penn told Oprah Winfrey on her show that he "wanted to keep things focused on the professional team around [Milk, the film for which he won the Best Actor award]."

Penn, 48, has been linked in the tabloids to Natalie Portman, 27, although the reports remain unconfirmed.

After American Idol’s remaining contestants performed songs made popular by the Rat Pack during Tuesday's show, more than 47 million votes were casted and the results were quite surprising.

Yesterday, my predicted for the top two performers were accurate. American agreed with me and kept Danny Gokey and Allison Iraheta in the competition. That left Matt Giraud, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert (what?) in the bottom three for the night.

The results of having Adam in the bottom three really shocked the judges. To quote Paula "This is Crazy." She then proceed to say "I wish you could all stay together like the Rat Pack." But we all know that's not going to happen.

Then, to compound the surprise, Kris was pronounced saved, joining Danny and Allison, and putting Adam in the bottom two for the first time. Now America truly got that one wrong!

At that point, it seemed inevitable that Matt, the one contestant whose stay was lengthened by the judges’ save, was going home sweet home and he was eliminated from the competition. This must have been a sigh of relief for Adam who has been predicted to win this year's competition.

Last nights show also included performances by the legendary Natalie Cole, who looked totally amazing. We also had the pleasure (if you want to call it that) to hear season five's winner (Soul Patrol) Taylor Hicks, followed by this week's mentor Jamie Foxx belting out his latest tune.

Over all it was a crazy results show and I am confident America will make sure Adam is not in the bottom next week. Hopefully Danny is not either.Tune into to American Idol next week when the remaining four will perform "Rock 'n' Roll" tunes live on Tuesday night at 8:00 pm (ET) and the results show on Wednesday at 9:00 pm (ET) only on FOX.

If the Christian Coalition had their wish, this is how "Brokeback Mountain" would have appeared on your movie screens, instead of the version made historically famous by Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger.Watch it from some laughs!

A parl near Amsterdam has unveiled information signs pointing out spots where officials say gay men are known to have sex - so no visitors are taken by surprise.

The signs "clearly indicate what is happening in each zone; also those where gay men are known to practice 'cruising'," municipal spokeswoman Manon Koffijberg said.

Cruising is a slang word used to describe the act of trawling for casual sex.

"If you don't want to be confronted by a vision of that sort, the signs allow you to avoid specific areas," said Ms Koffijberg.

The De Oeverlanden park in Slotervaart, southwest of Amsterdam, is known as a place where homosexuals from all over the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe go in search of sex partners.

Ms Koffijberg said that while having sex in public was against the law, the park has been used for this purpose for so long that it has become "gedoog", a Dutch word for tolerating unwanted behaviour.

The sexual activities of cruisers, she said, kept mostly to the bushes in the park, and the new signs sought to ensure that they stayed there.

"There are various groups of users of the park; people with small children who bathe on the beaches, those who walk their dogs, gays cruising and nature lovers," said Ms Koffijberg.

"Things are arranged so that each group can relax in their own area without intruding on each other."There had been recent complaints of gay bashing in the Slotervaart area, populated by a large group of immigrants of Muslim origin, with reports of robberies and violence against gay men in De Oeverlanden park.

She has an "angel" of a boyfriend, Dutch bass player Martyn Lenoble, "who loves me from head to toe." She has a cozy Malibu beach house that she calls "the best thing I've ever done for myself." And, after a very public battle with breast cancer that has given her a gratifying "feeling of purpose," Christina Applegate has a new lease on life.

"I used to be really shy but I started to come into my own in my late 20s and early 30s," Applegate, 37, told People in the cover interview for the annual Most Beautiful issue. "Now I'm not afraid to speak up in a room full of people and be a part of the conversation."

The Samantha Who? star says she's finding balance and embracing her body after undergoing a double mastectomy in July, followed by reconstructive breast surgery in November.

"You have to get through the physical transformations then buck up, go to work and try to be the normal, happy Christina for everyone around you," she says.

One source of strength has been Lenoble. "He's been a friend for about 13 years," Applegate says. "Our relationship gets stronger and stronger. I'm really lucky."

And, more importantly, he makes the actress feel "beautiful" about her new body.

"I'm very grateful to Martyn for coming along at a time that he did because he's been my rock through all of this," Applegate says. "He gave me something to really want to live for and something to smile about."

The head of the judiciary in Malawi will lead a three-judge panel in an appeal case in which Madonna wants to overturn the southern African country's High Court decision to reject her application to adopt a 3-year-old girl.

The hearing before Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo and two other judges is set for May 4. "Since this involves an infant it will be heard in chambers," said High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal spokesman Joseph Chigona. "This is an important case; that's why the chief justice himself has taken special interest."

Madonna, 50, is not required to attend the hearing although she may if she wishes.

The appeal follows High Court Judge Esme Chombo's dismissal of the singer's application to adopt Mercy Chifundo James on the premise the entertainer does not have a permanent residence in Malawi. Madonna, who last year successfully completed her adoption of another Malawian toddler, David Banda, also 3, has visited Malawi three times.

Madonna's Malawian lawyer Alan Chinula appealed Chombo's ruling, calling it "erroneous." Chinula contended the judge relied on an "archaic law" of more than 50 years ago. "We are hopeful the Supreme Court of Appeal will overturn Justice Chombo's ruling," he said.

Madonna found Mercy at Kondanani Children's Village in the town of Bvumbwe when she first visited Malawi in October 2006, the same time she found David Banda at a different orphanage. Mercy was placed at Children's Village following the death of her teenage mother.

In a night dedicated to Rat Pack standards, Randy Jackson was surprised at how well the five finalists were handling the classic songs. Simon at one point gave credit to the night’s mentor, Jamie Foxx, who won the Oscar playing Ray Charles in "Ray."The five finalists truly did a remarkable job with this genre, making it tough to decide who’s going to be sent packing.The only performance where the judges did not agree was Matt Giraud's rendition of "My Funny Valentine." Randy gave him a "6 out of 10" while Simon, who is not a fan of Matt, said he was “absolutely brilliant.” Personally, I think it's Matt's time to go home sweet home.

My two favorite picks of the night were (1st choice) Danny Gokey's “Come Rain or Come Shine” which the judges raved about and (2nd choice) Allison Iraheta's "Someone to Watch Over Me", which Kara predicted would get her into the finals. Simon on the other hand was not too impressed and predicted that she would end up in the bottom three tonight.So based on the performances (and not how America has been voting), I predict that Matt and Kris should be in the bottom two, however I fear that Allison will be there with Matt instead and may possibly be sent home tonight.

For the results, don't miss the live show tonight at 9:00 pm (ET) on FOX. Taylor Hicks (whoever he is) will be performing tonight.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Before he became one of the most famous Australian actors in Hollywood, Eric Bana was showering in gas station restrooms and sleeping in his Mustang.

He recently revealed that, while on a road trip shortly after his arrival in the United States, he was arrested for taking a shower in a gas station. The police showed up before Bana had time to recollect his clothing. He said,

I slept in the car a lot. I wanted to experience everything the country had to offer...I got arrested for taking a shower in the gas station. I just got under it [the faucet] and turned it on. I was not naked. I had my jocks [underwear] on. I was able to wash my hair.

Hopefully his role in the new Star Trek movie came with a paycheck big enough to avoid any future arrests.

Hugh Jackman is hiding a secret stash of nude footage cut from his new movie X-men Origins: Wolverine.

While shooting the X-Men prequel, Jackman had to perform several stunts in the nude.

After his more intimate areas were hidden for the final cut, director Gavin Hood handed Jackman the X-rated extras for his own personal use.

The actor explains, "Our director gave me a little bag and inside it were about eight bits of film, all cut (from the movie). I said, 'That’s interesting,' then I held it up to the light and I said, 'Ok, now I know why that’s in a bag!'"

And he has vowed to keep the raunchy clips safely stashed away: "Now it’s in my safe somewhere. My privates in a bag."

The Material Girl isn’t giving up her role as the face of Louis Vuitton yet.

Following the success of her spring/summer ads for the luxury goods giant, Madonna will continue on as the face of the luxury house’s Fall/Winter 2009 collection. Madonna and Marc Jacobs will collaborate for the second time with famed photographer Steven Meisel to shoot the new ad images in New York City. The first images of the campaign are slated to appear in August issues of fashion magazines.

We can’t wait to see what Madonna and Marc have in store for us this time around.

It'll be a girl – and a girl! – for Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick.

The Hollywood couple, who already have son James Wilkie, 6, announced Tuesday they're "happily anticipating the birth of their twin daughters later this summer with the generous help of a surrogate. The entire family is overjoyed."

Broderick, 47, and Parker, 44, stepped out together Monday night in New York at the premiere of his film Wonderful World, where the actor gushed about his fashion-icon wife (wearing a skintight dress) of nearly 12 years, saying, "Doesn't she look beautiful."

Producers for American Idol didn’t want anyone to know which contestants are selling the most downloads on iTunes, because it might spoil the results of the show or favor one contestant over another.

But last week a glitch in Apple’s software revealed an Idol ranking, giving fans a look at who’s on top on iTunes, the New York Post reports.

Keep reading to find out which contestants are selling the most.

Adam Lambert is way ahead, taking six of the top 10 spots on the Idol list. His rendition of “Mad World,” which earned him a standing ovation from Simon Cowell, is in the No. 1 spot on the secret chart.

That’s probably not a shocker. What does come as a bit of a surprise is that Kris Allen has three studio versions of his performances in the top 10 and fan favorite Danny Gokey only has one, his version of “Endless Love” from Idol’s recent movie night.

Whether or not the iTunes sales figures are a reflection of the way people are voting is undetermined. But it does seem like Kris has been gaining on Danny over the past few weeks.

The contestants will perform Rat Pack standards on tonight’s live performance show, airing at 8:00 pm (ET) on FOX.

What prompted the flashy, eccentric persona that helped make Prince a king of the music world? The singer reveals he was compensating for a painful childhood struggle with epilepsy.

"I've never spoken about this before but I was born epileptic," the reclusive singer told PBS's Tavis Smiley in an interview Monday night. "I used to have seizures when I was young. My mother and father didn't know what to do or how to handle it but they did the best they could with what little they had."

Prince also cites divine intervention for helping him cope with his epilepsy. "My mother told me one day I walked in to her and said, 'Mom, I'm not going to be sick anymore,' and she said 'Why?' and I said 'Because an angel told me so.' Now, I don't remember saying it, that's just what she told me."

But his struggle didn't end there. "From that point on, I've been having to deal with a lot of things, getting teased a lot in school," he said. "And early in my career I tried to compensate by being as flashy as I could and as noisy as I could."

The singer, who is promoting his latest album, the three-disc set LotusFlow3r, concludes his two-part Tavis Smiley interview tonight.

Until now, style icon Victoria has been the Beckham family’s resident designer, but it looks like Posh is in for a little competition!

Her footballer husband David is branching out from underwear modeling to launch his own fall-winter men’s line for Adidas Originals by Originals. Partnering with Undefeated sneaker boutique owner James Bond, David’s new line will feature updated American sportswear as well as reinterpretations of Adidas’s iconic styles.

But if you’re hoping that David will give the line a little face-time by modeling his wares, you’re in for some serious disappointment. Although he does have an endorsement deal with Adidas, Becks won’t be the face of the new brand.

Hugh Jackman contemplated walking away from the X-men franchise after the third movie, because he feared his character Wolverine had gone too "soft".

Jackman reprises his role as the superhero in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the fourth movie of the cult series which will be released this Friday, May 1st.

But the film almost didn't happen, because after Jackman had completed 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand he considered stepping down from the role amid concerns over his character's development.

He says, "One thing I never felt we got with Wolverine that I really wanted to get is that berserker rage which is talked about in the comic books.

"It felt like Wolverine had got a little soft by X-Men 3 and I wanted to take it back to that bad a** quality. He's tough, he's gruff, he's not politically correct - he doesn't say the right things.

"There has to be complexity to this character. He's very tough but there's a lot of pain, history to his life that you find out about. It's not pretty. He's a flawed character. That's what I like about it, that's why I'm doing it for the fourth time or else I wouldn't."

NYC residents were scared yesterday when a large jet circled low over Manhattan, chased by a fighter jet. Turns out it was just a government photo-op, but people were shaken up. People fled their downtown office buildings in 9/11 flashback terror.

We cannot believe how someone could be so insensitive for a photo shoot, without spreading the word with advance notice, but publising their plans.

Fox television this week faced an uncomfortable future when the two biggest stars on its No. 1-rated show "American Idol" openly discussed leaving, which experts said could send viewership plummeting in future seasons.

Paula Abdul, whose often quirky behavior has been a hot topic for years, told ABC News program "Nightline" that her contract ends after this season. And acid-tongued Simon Cowell, whom critics call the show's real star, gave several interviews in which he contemplated an exit when his deal ends next year.

"You take out one person like Paula or Simon, (and) you're affecting every other player in this grid," said Time magazine television critic James Poniewozik. "They're a family, a dysfunctional family, and it's tough to mess with that."

At risk for the Fox Broadcasting Co., which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., are millions of dollars in annual advertising revenue that would be lost if viewers tune out following a departure by Cowell or Abdul.

The pair are the most talked-about judges on the four-person panel that critiques performances of pop star wannabes competing to be the next "American Idol" and win a recording contract. They are joined by Randy Jackson and new judge Kara DioGuardi, as well as show host Ryan Seacrest.

This week, Cowell told the New York Times that when he agreed to his contract through next season, it felt like it would be his last, and he said in The Hollywood Reporter that if "Idol" dropped from No. 1, he would want to leave.

"I have had a great eight years. But inevitably you get to a point in life when you think maybe it's time for a change," he told reporters on Friday at an event in Los Angeles.

Cowell said he had not talked about his contract with Fox executives. "I have not even sat down with them yet. Maybe I'm being premature. Maybe they don't want me!," he said.

Leaving the show likely would be a big let-down for fans of the celebrity judge who earns an estimated $36 million a season by often heaping criticism on the program's pop star wannabes.

"He's the villain that people like to cheer against, and also I think people don't give him enough credit for this, he's actually also a really good critic," Poniewozik said.

Fortunately for Fox, the show has retained its lofty title as No. 1 on U.S. airwaves despite a slip in its audience size that could be tied to lower viewership for TV shows overall.

Now in its eighth season, "Idol" has seen its audience size decrease by about 8 percent compared to last year, and it is averaging about 26.3 million viewers per show, Fox said.

Still, it retains a 68 percent ratings lead among viewers 18 to 49 years-old, a key group that advertisers covet, over its nearest competitor, ABC sitcom "Desperate Housewives.""'Idol' at the moment is the most dominant it has ever been," said Mike Darnell, president of alternative programing at Fox Broadcasting.

When asked about the show's prospects if Cowell or Abdul were to leave, Darnell said only that he hoped they would not.

"It is our hope and my personal wish that both of them stay for as long as the show is on," Darnell said.

Industry experts, however, are more forthcoming.

"Simon Cowell, if he left the show after next season, there would be a much bigger drop-off in terms of viewing; he's really the focal point," said Brad Adgate, a vice president at advertising agency Horizon Media.

The loss of Abdul would be a blow, too, as critics say she is crucial, if only for her often unpredictable behavior.

"Paula is a liability for any number of reasons people talk about, just the sort of crazy, scatterbrained responses she gives during the judges' criticism," Poniewozik said.

"But that's 'American Idol,' the things people complain about are a big chunk of the reason the audience watches."

Ana Ortiz, 38, graced the red carpet last night at the Point Foundation Gala, held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. The gorgeous actress plays the role of Hilda Suarez on the hit show Ugly Betty and was proudly showing off her baby bump.

Ortiz married musician Noah Lebenzon nearly two years ago and they are expecting a baby daughter at the end of July.

Hollywood heartthrob Matthew McConaughey is giving up his famously muscular physique to play an overweight fighter in a new movie.

The actor is regularly caught by photographers topless on the beach or working out semi-nude near his California home.

His toned body has earned him a strong female following - but the 39-year-old has revealed he's swapping muscles for flab for new film The Grackle.

And McConaughey is already poised for the inevitable paparazzi shots of him looking out of shape. He says, "When I go to do The Grackle and put on 20 pounds, they're going to go, 'What happened?'"

He adds of his character, "It's set on Bourbon Street, New Orleans, and he's down there eating it all and drinking it all and smoking it all."

But the actor admits he's looking forward to letting it all go: "I'll eat more cheeseburgers. That's my favourite food. Man who invented the hamburger was smart; man who invented the cheeseburger was a genius."

Actor Dolph Lundgren's wife was tied up by armed robbers who demanded cash and jewellery in a terrifying raid.

The Rocky IV star away from his Marbella, Spain home at the time of the burglary, but wife Anette found herself at the mercy of three masked attackers.

They terrorised her into handing over money and valuables.

But the three robbers fled when they spotted a family photo - and realised they had targetted the home of the tough guy actor.

A source tells Britain's Daily Mail, "Things might have turned out very differently if Dolph had been in. The criminals fled as soon as they realised the owner of the house they had raided was someone they wouldn't want to come up against in a fight. They left Anette pretty traumatised. She's Dolph's angel and anyone who messes with her is messing with him."

Heartthrob Robert Pattinson is facing some serious competition - movie bosses are eyeing pin-up Channing Tatum for a lead role in the vampire franchise's third outing Eclipse.

Pattinson has become one of Hollywood's hottest young stars since he landed the role of bloodsucker Edward Cullen in Twilight.

But it could be time for the young Brit to stand in the sidelines - screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg is desperate to sign former model Tatum as nasty vampire Riley.

She tells E! Online, "There's a very big battle at the end with Riley, and I think Channing would do that so well.

"And there are some complexities to that character. He really is tragic. He's a puppet for Victoria (vampire character). So he has to break your heart a little bit at the end when he realises that she doesn't want him. Channing could do that beautifully."

After a six-year hiatus, multi-platinum selling Orlando-based rock band Creed have returned with a new record tentatively titled Full Circle.

"We never felt like we weren't together," says frontman Scott Stapp. "We're not looking at this as a reunion. It's more of a rebirth."

Though they stayed in touch through holiday cards and the occasional phone call, the group refrained from recording together in order to, "explore other creative outlets and build the main priority in all of our lives, which is our family," says Stapp.

Indeed, the band has grown up quite a bit, as has Stapp's son Jagger, the muse behind their hit "With Arms Wide Open." "He's not a baby anymore," says the proud papa of the 10-year-old. Stapp now also has a 2-year-old named Milán.

Could another hit about his offspring be on the horizon? Quite possibly. He wrote a tune about his daughter as well, simply titled "Milan Song." "She's my twin soul, my light," he says of his little lady. "I do whatever she wants."

Stapp, who made the initial push for Creed to get back together, says it was awesome to see all the guys in one room again. "I said, 'I love you and if I've ever caused you any pain in your life forgive me.' And they said the same things right back."

With any bad blood dissolved, the guys got back to jamming and planning a summer tour. "We're not trying to stay in a certain place or conform to where we left off," says Stapp. "The music is fresh, edgy, raw, passionate, honest and it rocks."

The case of accused Craigslist Killer Philip Markoff has taken a decidedly new turn with the admission of a male Boston corporate professional who told NBC News that, based on his own experience, Markoff used Craigslist to seek out men as well as women for sexual activites.

"I posted an ad on Craigslist under 'male for t,' which stands for 'males for transsexuals,' " said the man, who requested his name not be revealed, for fear of jeopardizing his job. "That's where he found me."

The man said Markoff, reputedly through his Yahoo email account under the name "sexaddict5385," responded to the posting under Craigslist's "Casual Encounters" with revealing photos of himself (which NBC was not able to show on TV, other than a single snapshot of a muscular bare chest) and the message, "I am a 22 y/o grad student. 6'3, 205, good build, blond/blue eyes ... let me know what else you want to see or know about me."

In a segment on Monday's Today show, NBC News correspondent Jeff Rossen said, "Philip Markoff reportedly told his Massachusetts-based family this weekend, 'There's more coming out ... Forget about me and move to California.' "

Scared Beyond Belief

It was through the photos, later released by Boston police, that the man was able to identify Markoff, 23, a clean-cut medical student who has been charged with the murder of a woman and the assault of another, both in Boston hotels.

Following Markoff's arrest, the man said, "I immediately went to the computer and typed his name in. It popped right up. I was scared like you wouldn't believe."

The man also told NBC that in emails from sexaddict5385, the sender addressed him as "babe" and wrote, "What are you into and what are your stats? What are you doing tonight?"

"He seemed like a great guy!" said the man, who corresponded with sexaddict5385 last spring and then again in January, though the two never met in person. Based on the photos that were sent, "He was very cute. I was really taken by his looks."

Twentieth Century Fox has decided to postpone the premiere of X-Men Origins: Wolverine set for Wednesday in Mexico City, as the city remains paralyzed by the virus that has killed over 100 people. Dozens of cases of swine flu have also been detected stateside. (For information about the swine flu, click here.)

"We were not only concerned about Hugh's welfare – and we would never send anyone into harm's way – but we also have an enormous office filled with people we care about," says a rep for the studio. "There was no point in proceeding under the current conditions."

The Mexico government has asked for residents to stay home, shutting down schools and even the nation's top movie-theater chains have opted to shut down dozens of cinemas. Hugh Jackman was the only cast member from the film expected to attend the Mexico City premiere.

"There is a possibility it could be rescheduled," the rep says of the premiere. "Hugh is obviously beloved [there] so we'll see what happens. We'll monitor the situation."

At the request of his lawyer, Redmond O'Neal was sprung from jail for three hours over the weekend to see his ailing mother Farrah Fawcett in a visit supervised by the sheriff's office.

"A sergeant and a deputy drove him to his mother's home on Saturday and he's now back in custody," L.A. County Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore.

Whitmore says a temporary release for inmates is common when a family member is gravely ill, to attend a funeral, or similar emergencies. But a source told People that the actress's condition has not changed. Fawcett, 62, is battling cancer.

"Of course she's ill, but nothing should be read into the timing of Redmond's visit," says a source close to Fawcett. "Redmond's attorney had requested that he be allowed to visit his mom a while ago. It was not a crisis or emergency. Farrah is status quo. He had a lovely visit with his mom. Farrah was thrilled to see him. It was a wonderful visit."

The O'Neal family paid $1,285.39 for the visit for personnel and mileage. "The visit wasn't paid for with taxpayer's money," says Whitmore.

Redmond, 24, is currently being held in jail pending a court hearing on April 29. The only son of Fawcett and Oscar-nominated actor Ryan O'Neal will likely receive further drug treatment following his most recent arrest.

A lawyer for Redmond had no comment.

Redmond O'Neal's visit to his mother marks a rare positive moment in the family's troubles.

Rumors of Whitney Houston’s return have been swirling for years. Now, Diane Warren, the songwriter behind Houston’s comeback single, has the goods. “The song is called ‘I Didn’t Know My Own Strength’,” Warren told an audience at the Experience Music Project’s annual Pop Conference in Seattle on Friday. "Whitney's back. Big time.”

Warren said she wrote the song specifically for Houston. “I tried to get inside her head,” Warren said about the track, which Houston performed at Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Gala on February 7th. “Strength” will be featured on the 45-year-old singer’s seventh solo album, and will be produced by famed hitmaker David Foster.

The still-untitled project has been speculated as a 2009 release, but that date is not confirmed. During her on stage talk with the Los Angeles Times’ Ann Powers, Warren also spoke at length about her long and incredibly successful career, including her No. 1 singles for artists ranging from Aerosmith (“I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing”), Celine Dion (“Because You Loved Me”“) and Toni Braxton (“Unbreak My Heart”).

Sure they all have blogs now, but gay porn stars were pretty slow on the uptake. Not the case with Twitter which the stars, writers, producers and personalities of the gay porn universe and the like have taken to like moth to flame.

The full list of gay porn stars on Twitter is shown below. Youi should also GayPornBlog on Twitter.

The Top 5 finalists will be performing standards made famous by the Rat Pack tonight at 8:00 pm (ET) on FOX. This should be a great night for Danny Gokey and Kris Allen, however what kind of surprises does Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta have in store for us.This week's elimination will take place during the Live Results Show on Wednesday at 9:00 pm (ET). Also on FOX. Hopefully Matt Giraud is the one going home this week.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Poor Hugh Jackman. He does so much for us – takes off his shirt, looks good in gold lamé and leather and still, all anybody wants to know is whether the singing, dancing, muscled-up heartthrob is gay or not.

This week, we saw another part in Jackman's continuing series of polite non-denials about his sexuality, telling Parade, "‘I'd be happy to go and deny it because I'm not…But by denying it, I'm saying there is something shameful about it - and there isn't anything shameful."

Now, parse that sentence carefully and it's clear that Jackman didn't actually really say he was straight! So we can keep asking him! Or rather, we can do what most everyone else does, which is to stare at video clips and try to determine the real truth.

So here are a few videos of Hugh in action and you be the judge, 'cause I love him just the way he is.

Britain’s Got Talent star Susan Boyle has made headlines all over the world for her amazing voice and now another dream may come true for her. Donny Osmond wants to do a duet with the woman who has the voice of an angel.

Smart move on Donny’s part…if we do say so ourselves. Boyle confessed that Donny is her inspiration and would love to sing with the former teen idol. Well lucky for her, Osmund agreed and said, “I would die to do a duet with her.”

Okay, so Susan recently claimed that she had never been kissed…could Donny be her first? His tentative plan for their duet will be to have Susan visit him in Vegas. He would invite her to join him on stage to be part of their act, the Donny & Marie revue. He has visions of singing to her and then having her sing to him. Corny? Yep. Will we watch? Yep.

Veteran actresses Betty White and Rue McClanahan have paid tribute to their Golden Girls co-star Bea Arthur, who died on Saturday.

The actress passed away peacefully in her sleep at her Los Angeles home after losing her battle with cancer aged 86, according to personal assistant Dan Watt.

Arthur, who starred in the hit show from 1985 until 1992, won an Emmy Award for her role as Dorothy Zbornak in the sitcom, which chronicled the lives of three retirees in Miami.

And co-stars White and McClanahan fondly recall the seven happy years they spent with Arthur on the series.

McClanahan tells Entertainment Tonight. "(Thirty-seven) years ago she showed me how to be very brave in playing comedy. I'll miss that courage. And I'll miss that voice."

White adds, "I knew it would hurt, I just didn't know it would hurt this much. I'm so happy that she received her Lifetime Achievement Award while she was still with us, so she could appreciate that.

"Bea was such an important part of a very happy time in my life and I have dearly loved her for a very long time. How lucky I was to know her."

Born in 1922, Arthur grew up in New York and earned a degree as a medical laboratory technician, before enrolling in a drama course at the New School of Social Research in the city.

She shot to fame in her twenties with numerous stage roles and won critical acclaim for her performance in a 1964 production of Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway.

Arthur also landed a Tony Award for her turn as Vera Charles in 1966 musical Mame - and composer Jerry Herman was taken aback by her natural acting ability and comic timing.

He says, "There was no one else like Bea. She would make us laugh during Mame rehearsals with a look or with a word. She didn't need dialogue. I don't know if I can say that about any other person I ever worked with."

The actress moved on to television in her fifties and won the starring role in 1970s show Maude, for which she also won a coveted Emmy Award, before landing her part in The Golden Girls.

Arthur married twice - first to producer and director Robert Alan Aurthur and then to director Gene Saks from 1950 to 1978. The couple adopted two sons.

She is survived by a sister, her children Matthew and Daniel and two granddaughters.

Jennifer Lopez greets her fans at the March of Dimes' March for Babies walkathon Saturday in Key Biscayne, Florida. The actress, who recently raved about her 14-month-old twins, acted as the honorary chairperson at the benefit walk.

Search This Blog

All About CharlieCruiser's World...

Come with me as I explore the emtertainment, music, travel and news world.

Read all about our favorite stars of the "Entertainment World", visit picturesque places through the "Windows of the World", enjoy great "Culinary Experiences", or just sit back and enjoy my views on life.